Kansas State hires Belmont's Casey Alexander as next men's basketball coach
Kansas State hires Belmont's Casey Alexander as next men's basketball coach
Craig Meyer, USA TODAY NETWORKFri, March 13, 2026 at 5:09 PM UTC
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Kansas State hires Belmont's Casey Alexander as next men's basketball coach
The first major-conference job to come open on this year’s men’s college basketball coaching carousel has officially been filled.
Kansas State has hired Belmont’s Casey Alexander to be its next head coach, the university announced March 13.
Alexander has signed a five-year contract, which will pay him $3.3 million during the 2026-27 season before he receives a $50,000 base salary increase each remaining year on his deal.
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After taking over for his former coach, Rick Byrd, Alexander went 166-60 in seven seasons at his alma mater. The Bruins won at least 20 games in each of his seven seasons there and won three conference regular-season championships.
This past season, Belmont went 26-6 and won the Missouri Valley regular-season title before being upset by Drake 100-79 in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament, almost certainly denying it a shot at the NCAA tournament. The Bruins never played in the NCAA tournament under Alexander, though they qualified for the 68-team field in 2020 before the event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The 53-year-old Alexander was previously the head coach at Lipscomb and Stetson, where he combined to go 137-120 in eight seasons.
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Alexander’s teams have been known for their up-tempo style and offensive explosiveness. Six of Alexander’s seven Belmont squads finished among the top 100 teams in adjusted offensive efficiency, according to KenPom, an impressive feat from a small-conference program. He became known for his excellent player evaluation, which allowed Belmont to sign the likes of Wil Richard, Ja'Kobi Gillespie and Cade Tyson before each player transferred to a power-conference program.
"I'm incredibly excited to join the team at K-State and can't wait to get the journey started," Alexander said in a statement. "K-State has such a rich tradition and a wildly passionate fan base and I'm grateful for the opportunity provided by (Kansas State athletic director) Gene Taylor to be a part of it."
The 53-year-old Alexander replaces Jerome Tang, who was fired on Feb. 15 after four seasons at the school. The university fired him for cause, which Tang plans to fight in court.
Kansas State made the NCAA tournament nine times over a 12-season stretch from 2008-19, which included two Elite Eight appearances, but it has missed the tournament in five of the past six seasons in which it was held.
The Wildcats went just 28-37 over the past two seasons despite high-priced additions out of the transfer portal like P.J. Haggerty and Coleman Hawkins.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Casey Alexander hired as Kansas State men's basketball coach
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